Tech Plan

For my Technology Plan I am choosing to focus on later Elementary classes, such as fourth grade. The subject I have chose is Social Studies with an historical perspective, using different technologies such as using the internet to research different events and people that are important in American History. During this learning process I would like the students to have an understanding of time, such as decades in terms of time spans. I would also like the students have the understanding of Michigan’s History and know the chronologic order. Then finally have the students be able to know historical events in the United States chronologically.
The Standards for Social Studies, historical perspective in the later elementary are a little more difficult from earlier grades. The first content standard consists of all students being able to sequence chronologically America’s historical eras and key events. Students will also need to examine relationships and explain the cause and effect of the event. The second content standards explain that all students will understand narratives about major eras in America and world history by describing the setting, identifying individuals, and being able to sequence the event. The third content standard explains that all students will reconstruct the past by comparing interpretations written by different people and their understanding of history. Students should then be able to create a narrative from evidence. The last content standard says all students will asses key decisions made at critical turning points in life’s history by evaluating their implications and long-term consequences, otherwise known as judging and making decisions from the past.
The specific unit plan I wanted to cover is having students evaluating key decisions made during critical turning points in life’s history. During this unit of learning history students will be able to learn about and explore our history. During this unit students will be able to pick one important person in our history that made a different and research and learn about their own person. There should be only a couple students studying each decade. At the end of this unit each student will share their important person to the class.
Requirements: Students will use technology in many different ways, student will also need to type a two page paper. Students will also need to make a video thread for their presentations. If the student is not able to fill the requirements of their presentation, there will be another option.
History Unit Plan:
1st Week-
• Students first will choose their historical person.
• The students will be able to visit the library for educational books on their specific person.
• Computers in terms of internet will be used for the base of the project for students to find research and information. I suggest that students use educational websites, and blogs. Students should NOT use wikipedia.

2nd Week-
• Students should start writing their two page paper required for their important person.
• Students should start working on their video threads for their presentations. Video threads are a nice easy idea for students to use technology. Video threads are also really fun for students to use and make.
• By the end of the week the students should be done typing their research papers and finished making their video threads.
• Presentations due on the last day.
**If student is not able to make video thread, students have the option of making a PowerPoint or dressing up as a character of their person and introducing who they are and why they are important to our history.

I hope the students will have a fun time and take what they have learned about history and apply it to their assignment. Students will have the opportunity to use new technology and learn about new people.

Family Project

Hello all,
I chose to act as a teacher and give my students a lesson. In this case I am devoting my video thread to an assignment the student will get to chose about their family and be creative about it in their own way. There are many different ways teachers could use video threads in their classrooms. These video threads give students information and instructions in many different ways, allowing the student to learn in a visual personal way. While each student watches and is instructed or taught, students can make up their own designs and decisions. To go along with the threads, teachers could show personal stories, information, instructions and examples of many different assignments and projects. This also give students and teachers a fun and new spin on learning. I hope you had as much fun with your video thread as I did.

Mary

Mashing Maps

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I created a map that could be used with grades First through Third grade. I think that this Mashup Map is a good source for students to use. It gives the students many different things all in one. First is gives the students a Map (Visual) then it points out different things on that map. The different Post marked on the map then give you information about the mark, this may also show you a picture and give you another link to learn more about this certain mark. So student are able to get different resourcesand visuals all in one. My map that I created was a map of Michigan. I chose to pick the Capital and Michigan five Great Lakes. I thought that this would be a good activity for Social Studies to show the students a Map for location then give the students information around that perticular area. For the Great Lakes I picked cities close to the shoreline, because it was difficult to place my mark on the Lake itself. I also included additional pictures and links to have the student explore more into Michigan and its History. To view my map:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=111683432268012962235.00044f13773730012b863&ll=42.812529,-84.552155&spn=7.381764,19.160156&z=6

Unit: Social Studies for Kindergarten

For my latest assignment I was suppose to choose a topic learned in school and a grade and set up a week full of activities that would cover the unit chosen for the class. I chose to teach Social Studies and then while studying the learn curriculum I thought that teaching social studies to kindergartner's would be a great experience, so I chose Kindergartners. One of the GLECS's was for the Kindergartens curriculum that shows each step of the learning process for the unit Social Studies. Showing Content Expectations, Concepts, Vocabulary, and skills. This also shows the curriculum and how we can build each concept. I also looked at the K-8 Social Studies Documents that explain many different aspects of the topic. Explaining the expectations of social studies as well as the curriculum itself. I also like the fact that this document includes the society of the students. Citizens , active citizens are included in this important document that gives different perspectives of social studies. I like that this document also explains that the each active citizen has responsibilities. This document is very informative and covers a large part of the unit and explains thoroughly each aspect. As for the MET's I chose to read the K-2 document about technology and their standards. I thought this document was very informative and interesting to explain what student's need to learn about technology and their expectations kindergarten through second grade.
Through the week of Social Studies, my unit consisted of activities that were fun and educational. On Monday I chose to learn about Michigan's History. So I found a website that has all of Michigan's information on its site for the students to be able to use technology and learn about their state.http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108228.html . This is a great state for students to explore. For Tuesday I chose the activity of adventuring a legend of a Map. This is a activity that allow the student to explore a map and what things mean and how to use these instruments.http://geology.com/state-map/michigan.shtml. Check it out, it is a site that has many different types of maps for Michigan. For the third day, i chose an activity for the unit that goes along with the previous activity. I chose for the students to use a map and locate different cities and lakes. I also used the same site as before. There are also different websites for the students to use, I just chose the most affective site. For Thursday, the students had more of a review day, learning terms and concepts of Michigan and things learned earlier in the week. The site I found most helpfulhttp://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/KindergartenKVCS_229526_7.pdf. For the last day the students were suppose to use their artistic abilities to make their own rendition of a Map of Michigan. I think I made a week full of different activity that gave the students a variety that allowed them to be interested. I think my students would have fun learning social studies. I hope that you all get the chance to look at my websites. If you have any questions, always feel free to ask.

Mary Meagan Behnke

http://del.icio.us/marybehnke/Social